


Names

by bisexualreina



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Domestic Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, F/M, MSR, Post series finale, Pregnant Dana Scully, skinner and monica live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualreina/pseuds/bisexualreina
Summary: There is a slight complication in the delivery room and Mulder can't read the room.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	Names

“Just focus on me, Scully, you’re doing great.” Mulder encouraged while hanging onto one of his partner’s leg, his hands shaking slightly as he watched something he never thought he’d be able to witness, the birth of their child. 

He had regretfully missed William’s, hell, he missed most of the events in their son’s life, but that one he regretted deeply, but now as he watched their daughter try and make her way into the world, he didn’t know how to feel. They were older this go around, well, he was much older, he had a good eight years on Scully and he knew that women in their late forties had children all the time, but he just seemed old and nervous.

He was scared to let his eyes gaze past her knee, and by the sounds of her agony-riddled groans, he felt like she didn’t want him to either. Scully was all he needed to focus on at the moment, making sure she was as comfortable as possible while she fought tiredly to bring their child into the world. The nurses had raised the back of her bed for some leverage, but she had still gasped that Mulder hang on to her, just his contact on her burning skin telling her that things were going to be alright.

She had been so hot, sweat drenching her completely since they had come in, both of them still clad in their work clothes, her button down shirt covered completely in sweat. It didn’t stop there, she had Mulder nearly peel her clothes off to slip into the god forsaken gown that the nurses insisted on, which was now also drenched in sweat. 

This time it had been harder, with William she had gotten lucky, just a few hours of intensity and then magically a baby had appeared, but with this stubborn one, she feared that she’d being doing this for hours upon hours. Mulder had been supportive, but she could feel the pure fear that radiated through his body, no matter how badly he tried to hide it. But she didn’t have the energy to care about what he was feeling at the moment, all of her limbs feeling like lead while a horrendous pain just continuously tore through her.

She whimpered helplessly as her now longer red hair stuck to her wet cheeks, squeezing her eyes shut to try and catch her vanishing breath that seemed harder and harder to do as this child pressed against her lungs.

Mulder watched a nurse whisper something to the kind doctor, both of them conversing while another one strapped an oxygen mask to her face. Worry piqued his attention but he knew that he had to relax, Scully was much more keen on his feelings than he ever gave her credit, no matter the situation, and he felt like this was no different.

He took a deep breath and began to slowly rub her head, pulling his hand away that was now covered in the sweat she was secreting from the pure pain her body was being subjected to, slowly breaking his heart. He could hear the intensity in their voices, and Scully had begun to pick up on it too, her eyes widening as she slowly raised her head from her pillow, whimpering in fear. Mulder needed to act fast.

“Scully, look at me.” He instructed, watching her pinch her eyes shut as her mask began to fog up, every sensation intensifying for hear as tears began to build in her eyes. He wanted to look away, but he knew she needed him to be right there for her during this time.

“Mulder- it hurts.” She cried, her voice smaller than what he was expecting, nearly causing him to scoop her right up and hold her close like he would normally when she needed him. He nodded nervously to acknowledge her pain, allowing her to squeeze his hand that wasn’t hugging her bare leg close to his chest as the doctor had instructed.

“Take a deep breath and tell me what you think we should call her?” He questioned with one of those smirks that always managed to send her back nearly two decades to when he could convince her to get extra mushrooms on their pizzas while working late. 

She went to answer when the doctor’s invasive touch, paired with another painful contraction made her arch her back and cry out, nails digging into his hands as he whipped his head over to see what they had done to cause that.

“Dr. Scully, your baby’s shoulder’s are stuck on your pubic bone so we have to reach in and free it, it will hurt but the only other alternative option is a c-section.” The doctor informed, both parents now anxious with the prognosis, Scully had wanted to avoid going under the knife at all costs, regardless of her years of training, being numbed from the chest down while someone dug through her insides just brought up a whole slew of past traumas, while Mulder on the other hand seemed terrified for his partner who had just made the most god-awful sound ever.

“Just do it.” Scully growled, allowing the nurse to move her bed completely upright, looking more like a chair to Mulder. He could feel her hands shaking, one gripping his while the other squeezed the sheet at her hips. He watched nervously as the doctor pulled on a longer glove, telling him things were about to get quite ugly in this delivery room.

“Dr. Scully, I’m going to take your mirror down, you aren’t going to want to see this, just focus on your partner.” The doctor warned, moving somethings around before eyeing Mulder to resume his job of distracting her from what was about to happen.

“What about Bernice? That’s a nice name?” Mulder cried, the most god-awful name coming to mind, figuring it could at least bring a smile to her face, but she just scowled and glared up at him before returning her attention towards her patient doctor, rendering Mulder silent.

“I’m going to go slow, baby’s heart rate is fine so I won’t rush.” She offered as assurance, but Scully just nodded, still completely terrified of what was about to happen to her. Even though she felt warm, and sweaty, and gross, she wanted Mulder close, his touch comforting.

She tugged on his arm and he dotingly moved beside her, both of his hands now free, one holding her hand while the other rubbed the spot on her belly where he could feel the slightest movements of their child. He remained close for a second before he felt Scully groan, sitting herself up with her free arm to get a nurse’s attention.

“Wait! Can he sit behind me?” She questioned, catching Mulder off guard at her sudden request. He couldn’t blame her, he was terrified and nothing in the slightest was about to happen to him. The blonde woman nodded and carefully peeled her hand away from Mulder’s, pulling her forward and away from the mattress, only giving him seconds to react and climb behind his petite partner. He swiftly felt her sink into him with a familiar ease, her sweaty, bare back melting into his dress shirt that he didn’t have the chance to change. He shifted and felt the nurses position her shaking legs over his, her feet digging into the tops of his leather shoes that were still laced and tied.

“Scully, tell me your favorite names, whatever you want you can name her that.” Mulder urged, attempting to give her something else to think about, noting the doctor now readying herself and Scully now that they were settled. His partner just gasped as her muscles tensed, flinching painfully as the doctor began to dislodge the shoulders. 

Mulder just jumped and tensed his body around hers, trying his hardest to keep her still while they worked, but she just squirmed in absolute agony, screaming a rattling noise into his neck. He held her close, trying to talk over her wails, but he knew it was no use, he just had to hold her and wait it out.

Tears gathered in his eyes as she cried out, her chin pressing against her chest as the doctor shouted over hers to help her move the baby with a push. He knew better than to try and converse with her, now moving his chin against her shoulder to try and watch from behind her bump.

Once he felt her begin to relax, he soothingly tried to move her hair out of her face, pressing a kiss onto her temple. He could hear the doctor reporting happily that it had worked, and that on the next one their daughter would be in their arms.

“It might be a minute before you have another one.” The doctor then reported sadly, allowing Scully to lean back into her partner and catch her breath, readjusting her oxygen mask that was now fogged up against her face. Mulder just smiled at the lingering peace of their last moment without this child, his hand moving down to Scully’s stomach one last time.

“So do you want to name her Diana?” Mulder teased, making Scully nearly reach around and smack him, a smirk raising her eyebrow almost subconsciously as she focused on resting. He knew she had an inkling of what she wanted to call their daughter ever since they had gone in for the twenty week scan, but Mulder was always lost when it came to giving a child a name that would stick with them for the rest of their lives.

He wondered what his own parents had been thinking after granting him the name _Fox_ after all, and he feared that he would make the same mistake. He rubbed his hand up and down trying to get a feeling of what this child was like, and was quite pleased at the feeling of Scully’s right beside his, her pinky finger brushing over his thumb before guiding his hand lower beneath her stomach where there child was sitting.

“Why don’t I give her a woodland creature name to match her father’s.” She groaned, the sarcasm dripping from her voice as she sunk farther into Mulder, completely unfazed that they were both dripping with sweat, his shirt sticking to both of them like a disgusting second skin. He chuckled that no matter the circumstance, their time apart, or level of physical agony, Scully would find a way to tease him, making him grin and feign heartbreak, planting a kiss into the crook of her neck.

“Dana Scully you are awful, don’t you know that?” He joked, both of the nurses trying not to stare at the man who had just stated that to his partner who was in active labor with their child, but Scully just scoffed and shifted in his arms, trying to relax in such a position.

“I know, and your ginormous head and shoulders got passed down to your daughter, so I get to be awful.” She smirked, breathing shakily as her regularly timed contractions started up again, making a heaving sigh trill out of her lips. Mulder could feel it beginning once more, stopping his teasing as her hips began to rock against his to give his large headed daughter some room.

“Okay Scully, you got this.” He encouraged as she groaned suddenly and pushed, her head flinging back onto his shoulder as she panted the notoriously large head out of her body. The mirror that they had tilted away had returned back, but unfortunately her eyes were sealed shut, only leaving Mulder to stare straight on and watch their daughter’s head slowly emerge.

“Mulder- she’s tearing me in half!” Scully choked, and he simply wanted to agree, what he was witnessing had the effect to weaken his knees, but he just glanced away and took a breath himself before tending to her.

“No- she’s just coming out Scully, you should open your eyes and watch, it’s kind of amazing.” He gasped, feeling her lift her head that was still against his shoulder, her hair brushing against his cheek as she stared straight ahead and gasped.

“Oh god you’re right.” She groaned, shuddering vocally as the both of them watched the head slip out before their very eyes. He could feel his tears forming, but he bit them back for now, trying to remain lighthearted for her until this was all over, but he was shocked at the intense feelings that were beginning to formulate.

“You’re doing great, Scully, Eunice is almost out.” Mulder found himself trying to joke, but tears just kept gathering in his eyes and throat, being overwhelmed with so much emotion. She just groaned tiredly and dropped her head to his chest while catching her breath.

“Don’t, Mulder. That name is horrendous, even as a joke.” She grumbled, slowly breathing before another thought popped into her head, making her shift to try and get a glimpse of his expression in the mirror, but characteristically he was way too tall for her to see.

“Well we have…about two more minutes to decide on something…” He reminded urgently, making Scully groan at the comment and try to look up at the man that she was completely in love with, but also incredibly confused by in this moment.

“Mulder, love of my life, you _do_ know that we can name her after she is out of me? Like we can have this conversation when I’m not in the absolute worst pain of my entire life?” She questioned, almost begging, but Mulder just shifted underneath her and held her a bit more delicately.

“How am I supposed to sing her happy birthday when she comes out if she doesn’t have a name?” He cried in complete exasperation, making Scully open her tired irises and crane her neck up at the man who was genuinely concerned about this.

“What are you talking about, Mulder?” She exhaled, feeling the beginnings of another one, most likely her _final_ one beginning. Mulder just shrugged and dropped his eyes like he would when he got embarrassed, getting caught in the act of something sentimental. She had seen it countless times before, leaving drops of her favorite chocolate kisses on her desk when she wandered away to get a tissue, shoving the present for their first baby under her cushions after feeling a bout of nervousness. But she had always loved his goofy smile that came with those moments of true vulnerability, and she felt like one was coming soon.

“You said that when William was born you sang him happy birthday to make him stop crying, well I want to do the same for her and surprise you, but I can’t do that without her name.” He cried, his logic exactly where she expected it to be during this monumental moment for them. Her abdomen began to cramp up for the final time beneath their hands, causing the doctor eagerly nod at her to begin pushing. Mulder could feel her struggling, the pure exhaustion riddling her bones as she squeezed onto his hands. He jumped at the sound of her vocal chords being pushed to their limit, slightly concerned that she would be too hoarse afterwards to show their baby her perfect voice.

He reached over and began to push her gown up, one hand holding her steady while the other helped the nurse pull a towel on her now exposed stomach, their little one truly almost there.

Mulder’s dilemma was now just a distant thought as he watched in awe, a wide grin spreading across his face as shoulders slid out, followed by a short little torso. He could feel his heart skip a beat at the magical sight, swiftly moving his attention back to Scully who moaned painfully one last time, her body expelling the tiny one into the doctor’s hands.

The sudden wave of relief was nearly heart stopping, causing her to sink immediately into Mulder’s steady grip, catching her breath as the doctor excitedly placed the baby against her stomach, the wet contact against her skin making her wail freely over their baby.

“Scully! Oh my god you had a baby!” Mulder exclaimed, peppering her face, hair, and cheeks with kisses as she cried openly, not noticing the tears that were also falling down his cheeks as he got a clear view of their crying baby. All names aside he was shocked at how instantly he fell for this baby, and how deeply he loved the woman now cradled in his arms.

“I’m so proud of you!” He cried once more, reaching a hand over to brush on the baby’s bottom, their hands touching while they stared at her red, screaming little face. 

“I love you, Mulder, and oh my god, I love her so much!” Scully cried, almost incoherent as she softly rocked the baby, allowing the nurse to carefully clean her off while she was still cradling her. He just sniffled and leaned in closer, resting his chin on her shoulder to get a better look before planting one on her cheek.

“I love you too, Scully. She’s perfect.” He cried, unsure how he ever thought he’d be able to sing to this new little person who managed to take his breath away with just her very existence.

Scully could feel his rush of emotion, his shock but instant love, rendering Fox Mulder speechless for the first time in his life. Even when he had come to her house to meet William he tried to fill the air with nervous banter, but she could tell that now he was even more terrified.

“I think your dad has a song to sing for you, I guess he’s been practicing without my knowledge.” She urged, the sound of her voice quieting the baby down, drawing her big blue eyes up to her parents, almost as if she was waiting patiently for him to begin. Mulder just shifted nervously and brushed Scully’s hair back, shaking his head at her as he just reached down once more to feel her little hand.

“Oh no, not yet, she needs to be taken care of…” He murmured, watching the nurse carefully scoop the baby to take her measurements and swaddle her while the attention was turned back to Scully to get stitched and cleaned up as well. Mulder swiftly climbed out from behind her and went back and forth between his two girls, not entirely sure what to do or who to tend to, all while trying to come up with a name for her.

A nurse swiftly called him over towards the clear incubator where his daughter was now being measured and weighed. He could feel Scully staring, but he kept his eyes on the little girl, enamored by the way she stared inquisitively at everything, her brain working fast and intensely, just like her mother’s. The nurse swiftly worked on her footprints and prompted Mulder to roll his sleeve up past his elbow, promptly stamping his infant’s foot on his forearm, leaving the small mark of her foot.

“Here you go.” The nurse smiled, wrapping their baby with such ease he figured she could do it blindfolded, sliding a cap with a large bow over her head, planting her into his unexpected arms. He hadn’t ever held a baby for more than five minutes, and that was over seventeen years prior, and their son had been massive compared to this petite being who was squirming amidst her bundle. 

He didn’t know what to do so he simply made his way back to Scully who was still weeping, now a bit more relaxed on the bed. He gently offered her over to his partner and watched her eagerly pull her close, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for the both of them.

“You know, when I sang happy birthday, I didn’t have William’s name picked out yet.” Scully shrugged at him, rocking the baby softly while the doctor worked to stitch her up, the medicine making her relax after her eventful day. Mulder raised an eyebrow at her and brushed her stray hairs back as she nodded, tilting her head tiredly before taking another steady exhale.

“Although, I do love the name Scarlett for her.” Scully offered with a twinkle in her eye, the name sounding like a beautiful lyric floating off her tongue and into his ear. It fit perfectly, down to the matching fiery color of their baby’s hair. He nodded eagerly and watched Scully nudge him with her elbow before taking a breath.

“Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, dear Scarlett.

Happy birthday to you.”

Both parents sang softly, their voices barely audible for the rest of the people in the room. Soon they would alert Monica, John, and Skinner of Scarlett’s arrival, but for now they just softly sang to her, Mulder’s voice faltering in and out as his lips repeatedly found Scully’s head.

She smiled warmly at him and reached a hand up to his scruffy cheek, scratching it to get a better view of his tear stricken face that wouldn’t stop weeping.

“Sorry, I’m just really sad we didn’t name her Eunice.” Mulder joked, trying to brush off his tears, but Scully’s knowing glare just made him lean in closer and kiss her slowly, nothing too inappropriate for the hospital staff to see, but enough to show her how much he loved her.

“Thanks for having our miracle baby, and for naming her something perfect.” He finally sighed as he pulled away, going back to her exclamation that she had cried upon their baby’s birth, tapping his nose against hers.

“And I love you and Scarlett _so_ much.”


End file.
